Macworld Tablet Tidbit? You be the Judge...

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
Hi Everyone,



This could be nothing - I thought I would share it...



I called my Apple Business Rep. to place an order and ask a few questions. I told her that I wanted to buy the new 3.2Ghz Mac Pro but that I had reservations on ordering before Macworld. She told me repeatedly that she was "confident" that the Pro hardware was NOT going to be affected. I told her that I still did not want to place my order until Macworld (or I was sure that my order could be changed next week). She was sure that I was asking about Pro hardware only and said I should have no worries.



Everything is going along as expected (she wants to make the sale).



I told her that I was not only interested in Pro hardware. I said I have been reading the rumors and that I would benefit from an ultra portable laptop or tablet. She said that she does not know of products before they are released.



I further explain that I have severe carpal tunnel, and that if any kind of touch screen tablet gets released at Macworld - I would have to adjust my order (cancel the Mac Pro). She asked me "like the iPhone?" She asked me to hold. 10 seconds later, she told me "You may want to wait" That's all she said.



I kept talking and told her that I would proceed with the Mac Pro to get "in line" on backorder. She told me that after Macworld I could call her back and cancel my current order and place a new one. She processed the order and was wrapping up the call when she laughed and said "You know alot..." (During the conversation, I did not spout off any technical jargon - I assumed it was about the tablet comment???)



I don't know if it means anything? I jumped straight onto the forum to share...





.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 24
    marcusmarcus Posts: 227member
    Interesting, but to be honest, it sounded like she played it by the book. And bottom line was... she got your Mac Pro on the order book.



    We always used to have to deal with this around Macworld. We were all 100% in the dark as to what was arriving until it was actually announced. Everyone apart from the SAP people (who I think could see deliveries a few weeks in advance because of inventory control), who were literally *sworn* to secrecy, and wouldn't even talk about it amongst themselves.



    All in all, I would say 'We don't know anything', and if they pushed, 'Well, maybe, your guess is as good as mine!'... then 'If your order has not shipped by Macworld, you can always cancel' and also 'there is a week (can't remember exactly) no questions asked return policy after purchase, so you can always return it'.



    She didn't confirm or deny anything, and got your order... job done
  • Reply 2 of 24
    olternautolternaut Posts: 1,376member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marcus View Post


    Interesting, but to be honest, it sounded like she played it by the book. And bottom line was... she got your Mac Pro on the order book.



    We always used to have to deal with this around Macworld. We were all 100% in the dark as to what was arriving until it was actually announced. Everyone apart from the SAP people (who I think could see deliveries a few weeks in advance because of inventory control), who were literally *sworn* to secrecy, and wouldn't even talk about it amongst themselves.



    All in all, I would say 'We don't know anything', and if they pushed, 'Well, maybe, your guess is as good as mine!'... then 'If your order has not shipped by Macworld, you can always cancel' and also 'there is a week (can't remember exactly) no questions asked return policy after purchase, so you can always return it'.



    She didn't confirm or deny anything, and got your order... job done



    Yeah but she did suggest to him that he may want to wait. He then went ahead and placed the order anyway. I dunno. This is definately one to chew on.
  • Reply 3 of 24
    olternautolternaut Posts: 1,376member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Shell Dweller View Post


    Hi Everyone,



    This could be nothing - I thought I would share it...



    I called my Apple Business Rep. to place an order and ask a few questions. I told her that I wanted to buy the new 3.2Ghz Mac Pro but that I had reservations on ordering before Macworld. She told me repeatedly that she was "confident" that the Pro hardware was NOT going to be affected. I told her that I still did not want to place my order until Macworld (or I was sure that my order could be changed next week). She was sure that I was asking about Pro hardware only and said I should have no worries.



    Everything is going along as expected (she wants to make the sale).



    I told her that I was not only interested in Pro hardware. I said I have been reading the rumors and that I would benefit from an ultra portable laptop or tablet. She said that she does not know of products before they are released.



    I further explain that I have severe carpal tunnel, and that if any kind of touch screen tablet gets released at Macworld - I would have to adjust my order (cancel the Mac Pro). She asked me "like the iPhone?" She asked me to hold. 10 seconds later, she told me "You may want to wait" That's all she said.



    I kept talking and told her that I would proceed with the Mac Pro to get "in line" on backorder. She told me that after Macworld I could call her back and cancel my current order and place a new one. She processed the order and was wrapping up the call when she laughed and said "You know alot..." (During the conversation, I did not spout off any technical jargon - I assumed it was about the tablet comment???)



    I don't know if it means anything? I jumped straight onto the forum to share...





    .



    Oh and dude....if I were you I would leave town till MacWorld. Some crack corporate special ops team may be reading this and targeting you for detainment till after the MacWorld announcements!
  • Reply 4 of 24
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Olternaut View Post


    Oh and dude....if I were you I would leave town till MacWorld. Some crack corporate special ops team may be reading this and targeting you for detainment till after the MacWorld announcements!



    Up here in Maine? Yeah Right!!!
  • Reply 5 of 24
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Olternaut View Post


    Yeah but she did suggest to him that he may want to wait. He then went ahead and placed the order anyway. I dunno. This is definately one to chew on.



    Yeah, the pressure was definitely off once she said that. I continued the order without her pressure just to get my backorder number before the post-Macworkd rush. It at leaset kills one of the 3-5 weeks I have to wait...
  • Reply 6 of 24
    The sales rep doesn't know anything.
  • Reply 7 of 24
    tx65tx65 Posts: 31member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Shell Dweller View Post


    Hi Everyone,



    This could be nothing - I thought I would share it...



    I called my Apple Business Rep. to place an order and ask a few questions. I told her that I wanted to buy the new 3.2Ghz Mac Pro but that I had reservations on ordering before Macworld. She told me repeatedly that she was "confident" that the Pro hardware was NOT going to be affected. I told her that I still did not want to place my order until Macworld (or I was sure that my order could be changed next week). She was sure that I was asking about Pro hardware only and said I should have no worries.



    Everything is going along as expected (she wants to make the sale).



    I told her that I was not only interested in Pro hardware. I said I have been reading the rumors and that I would benefit from an ultra portable laptop or tablet. She said that she does not know of products before they are released.



    I further explain that I have severe carpal tunnel, and that if any kind of touch screen tablet gets released at Macworld - I would have to adjust my order (cancel the Mac Pro). She asked me "like the iPhone?" She asked me to hold. 10 seconds later, she told me "You may want to wait" That's all she said.



    I kept talking and told her that I would proceed with the Mac Pro to get "in line" on backorder. She told me that after Macworld I could call her back and cancel my current order and place a new one. She processed the order and was wrapping up the call when she laughed and said "You know alot..." (During the conversation, I did not spout off any technical jargon - I assumed it was about the tablet comment???)



    I don't know if it means anything? I jumped straight onto the forum to share...





    .





    I spoke to my Apple business rep and a server engineer on Monday asking some server questions, but said I would have to wait until next week to see what is announced server related at Macworld. Next morning,,, new servers announced. When I spoke to my rep on Wednesday,,, he said he was surprised too and wondered what was developing when they were told they may want to come in early on Tuesday (Jan 8). He was pretty honest and I believe he didn't have a clue until he came into work on Tuesday.



    They don't leak to reps,, but she probably encouraged you to wait because they don't want customers being upset if something does come out and you bought something and your would have modified your decision.
  • Reply 8 of 24
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Mac touch FTW!!!
  • Reply 9 of 24
    amorphamorph Posts: 7,112member
    If the sales reps knew anything this far in advance Apple wouldn't be able to keep any secrets at all.



    "You may want to wait" is pretty much generic advice this close to MacWorld. It doesn't mean that the rep knew anything, it's just that this close to MacWorld... you may want to wait. And, as others pointed out, she got your Mac Pro order on the books in the mean time.



    Customer satisfied. Sale made. Mission accomplished.
  • Reply 10 of 24
    olternautolternaut Posts: 1,376member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by TX65 View Post


    I spoke to my Apple business rep and a server engineer on Monday asking some server questions, but said I would have to wait until next week to see what is announced server related at Macworld. Next morning,,, new servers announced. When I spoke to my rep on Wednesday,,, he said he was surprised too and wondered what was developing when they were told they may want to come in early on Tuesday. He was pretty honest and I believe he didn't have a clue until he came into work on Tuesday.



    They don't leak to reps,, but she probably encouraged you to wait because they don't want customers being upset if something does come out and you bought something and your would have modified your decision.



    Wait though. I think this guy's apple rep provided even more of a clue. So your saying that your rep was told they they should come in early tuesday.....the day of Macworld? Gawd, I think this means we will be seeing more than one new product at the keynote. \
  • Reply 11 of 24
    olternautolternaut Posts: 1,376member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    Mac touch FTW!!!



    LOL!! Yeah!!!!!!!!
  • Reply 12 of 24
    macroninmacronin Posts: 1,174member
  • Reply 13 of 24
    flounderflounder Posts: 2,674member
    Good to see you, Amorph
  • Reply 14 of 24
    ipeonipeon Posts: 1,122member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Flounder View Post


    Good to see you, Amorph



    I second that.
  • Reply 15 of 24
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacRonin View Post






    Very very nice. However one niggle, the stand when putting it upright is way too thin.
  • Reply 16 of 24
    At my local retail shop here in South East Asia I would normally tell peoples to wait. However, there is so much massive backorder for MacBook, iMac20", MacBookPro all models, that we simply need to keep getting the current models. It will be end of Jan anyway when all the new juicy stuff announced at Macworld starts trickling to Asia.
  • Reply 17 of 24
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Shell Dweller View Post


    Up here in Maine? Yeah Right!!!



    We've heard it was rough up there...

  • Reply 18 of 24
    @OP



    It was just normal advice. She is just as unsure as you are so she advised you to wait in case something does get released that you might want to buy instead. I would've asked you to do the same thing if I was in her place and I assure that I am clueless.
  • Reply 19 of 24
    tx65tx65 Posts: 31member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Olternaut View Post


    Wait though. I think this guy's apple rep provided even more of a clue. So your saying that your rep was told they they should come in early tuesday.....the day of Macworld? Gawd, I think this means we will seeing more than one new product at the keynote. \



    I should have been more specific on which Tuesday I was talking about,,, the apple rep was told to come in early on Tuesday, Jan 8 which was the day of the new Mac Pro and Server releases.



    I edited my post for clarification



    I do think we will be seeing multiple new mobile products coming out during the key note building on the movies for rent and purchase which is now becoming old news.



    Possible agenda for the keynote



    Steve talks about the new film rental agreements and expanded collection to purchase on I-Tunes



    then shows the new Apple TV in two versions - one revising the device released last year and one that merges Apple TV with a Mac Mini (two price points) given consumer a full PC that connects to their TV.



    then steve slides a umpc out with a full OS PC and a 7 inch screen (1.5 times the size of an I-Phone which was a rumor out there)



    As nice as a 1/2 thick mac book is and I believe will be released next week, I dont think it will have the shock & awe value in release a umpc with full os x especially when linked to not only being a business tool, but a device to rent and watch movies on the fly over cellular broadband.



    Maybe he will leave people speechless by saying it will access MS exchange server email, runs the full version of MS Office 2008 and has a price of $699



    Steve Jobs loves to be the showman in his key notes and he is very aware of the need to rock the market and not make the key note anti-climatic.
  • Reply 20 of 24
    olternautolternaut Posts: 1,376member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by TX65 View Post


    I should have been more specific on which Tuesday I was talking about,,, the apple rep was told to come in early on Tuesday, Jan 8 which was the day of the new Mac Pro and Server releases.



    I edited my post for clarification



    I do think we will be seeing multiple new mobile products coming out during the key note building on the movies for rent and purchase which is now becoming old news.



    Possible agenda for the keynote



    Steve talks about the new film rental agreements and expanded collection to purchase on I-Tunes



    then shows the new Apple TV in two versions - one revising the device released last year and one that merges Apple TV with a Mac Mini (two price points) given consumer a full PC that connects to their TV.



    then steve slides a umpc out with a full OS PC and a 7 inch screen (1.5 times the size of an I-Phone which was a rumor out there)



    As nice as a 1/2 thick mac book is and I believe will be released next week, I dont think it will have the shock & awe value in release a umpc with full os x especially when linked to not only being a business tool, but a device to rent and watch movies on the fly over cellular broadband.



    Maybe he will leave people speechless by saying it will access MS exchange server email, runs the full version of MS Office 2008 and has a price of $699



    Steve Jobs loves to be the showman in his key notes and he is very aware of the need to rock the market and not make the key note anti-climatic.



    I personally think the new device might redefine the category as is Apple's norm to do. Perhaps it could be a cross between a UMPC and a MID. I hate UMPC's as they are in their current manifestation. And MIDs are cool but perhaps not well known enough yet with Intel's very cool prototype still a year or more away from actual production. Again it is going to take Apple to show the industry what they should do.
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